Palo Alto officials outline Grid Mod pilot, say testing will guide broader rollout

Palo Alto utility staff told the Utility Advisory Commission that the city’s Grid Modernization pilot covers roughly 1,000 homes and is intended to test materials, construction methods and new products before a wider rollout.

Mohammed Fatsa, electric engineering manager, said the pilot will "test feasibility for time, cost, risk, and performance of various materials, prior to going and undertaking a full scale rollout of, of the services." He described Phase 1 as a roughly 7,000‑home citywide effort to replace poles, transformers and secondary wiring, with an estimated completion of the Phase 1 distribution work in 2026. Fatsa said more than 400 homes in the pilot had already been prepared for electrification and gave a target completion for the pilot of February–March 2025.

The presentation emphasized foundation work:…